By Mhicole A. Moral, Special Features and Content Writer
A workplace can be measured in more ways than salaries and office perks. For employees, the experience of work also takes shape in how they are recognized, whether their voices are heard, or if they have room to maintain their well-being.
Finding those answers became the starting point of BusinessWorld’s partnership with global employee-experience platform WorkL, which introduced the search for Best Places to Work in the Philippines.
The program placed employee sentiment at the foundation of workplace assessment, using WorkL’s 31-question engagement survey to examine six areas: Reward and Recognition, Instilling Pride, Information Sharing, Empowerment, Well-being, and Job Satisfaction.
The overall engagement score was calculated from the sum of employee responses against the maximum possible score, expressed as a percentage.
Organizations needed an overall engagement score of at least 70% to qualify for BusinessWorld’s Best Places to Work accreditation.
The threshold was based on independent and WorkL-commissioned research on employee engagement initiatives and WorkL’s benchmark data covering more than 85,000 organizations.
Participation also required organizations to seek responses from as many current employees as possible. Minimum average response rates were set according to company size: 50% for small organizations, 45% for medium organizations, 35% for big organizations, and 25% for very big organizations.
In addition, companies completed a supplementary information survey, which WorkL analyzed alongside the employee engagement results.
The initiative was designed to give employers a bigger picture of how their employees experienced their workplaces while providing job seekers with information about organizations recognized for employee engagement and satisfaction.
“The Best Places to Work awards will highlight the growing importance of employee happiness and illustrate how a happy workforce makes a business commercially more successful,” WorkL Partnerships Director Suzanna Duke said ahead of the inaugural awards.
“Improving workplace standards in the Philippines should be a focus for all businesses, therefore with such a prominent business title putting employee happiness in focus, there will be a shift in expectations and ultimately standards, for businesses to adhere to,” she added.
On the other hand, organizations received data on their overall engagement score, Flight Risk score, Confidence in Management indicator, Diversity & Inclusion Indicator, Net Promoter Score, and individual scores across the Six Steps to Workplace Happiness.
The Flight Risk score measured how likely an employee was to leave the organization within the next nine months, while the Net Promoter Score measured how likely employees were to recommend their organization as a workplace to friends and family.
Lord Mark Price, founder of WorkL, said the partnership would give Philippine employers a way to better understand their workforces.
“Launching these awards with BusinessWorld will help employers in the Philippines to better understand their workforce as well as support employees looking for the best places to work. We are delighted to be in partnership,” he previously said.
Before the official induction of the partnership, WorkL already had data on employee engagement in the Philippines. In fact, the Philippines had an overall employee engagement score of 80% in 2024, compared with a global average of 70%. Its Flight Risk score stood at 10%, compared with a global average of 25%.
The awards night gave a toast to the Philippine companies taking the lead in nurturing happily engaging, empowering, and fulfilling workplaces.Employees and their workplaces
The first search, as it progressed, examined the workplace practices associated with employee satisfaction.
The discussion included leadership training focused on empathy and active listening, communication practices designed to accommodate employees from different cultural backgrounds, and efforts to build connections through workplace events and community partnerships.
Work-life balance also emerged as an area of focus. Hybrid schedules, remote work options, and shorter workweeks were practices being adopted by some businesses to give employees greater control over their time.
Employee Assistance Programs, mental health services, counseling, support hotlines, and stress management resources were also identified as workplace support mechanisms. Some companies extended assistance to parents and caregivers.
Other practices included health and financial benefits, wellness programs, financial education, housing assistance, tuition support, and employee discounts.
Career development also formed part of the workplace picture, with training, mentorship, upskilling programs, and internal career opportunities cited among the practices associated with employee satisfaction.
Still, compensation remained an important factor, with competitive salaries and performance-based bonuses to support employees.
But the Best Places to Work framework did not treat compensation or workplace perks as sufficient on their own. The framework required companies to perform across key areas.
From search to recognition
SM Hotels and Conventions Senior Vice-President for Operations Walid Wafik gave a message on behalf of SMX Convention Center as it was hailed the Grand Winner of the inaugural search.The inaugural search culminated in the BusinessWorld Best Places to Work 2025 Awards on Dec. 2, 2025 at Dusit Thani Manila.
The awards recognized organizations across company-size categories and employee demographic categories, including women, LGBTQ+ employees, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, younger workers, older employees, and overall employee well-being.
BusinessWorld Editor-in-Chief Cathy Rose A. Garcia opened the program by discussing employee engagement and the changing nature of work.
“This is what a strong workplace actually looks like in the lived experience of people. With that foundation, the organizations recognized today share a very distinct DNA. They are companies that reap [a] culture of something fundamental to their success,” she added.
In her message during the event, BusinessWorld Board Director Marife B. Zamora also addressed leadership development, encouraging organizations to identify future leaders within their workforces and provide managers with the training needed to support their teams.
“The foundation is already there. You have created workplaces where people are valued, engaged, and supported. Now, take the next step. Make leadership [as] fundamental to your culture as it [already is],” said Ms. Zamora.
SMX Convention Center was named the overall winner at the inaugural BusinessWorld Best Places to Work 2025 Awards. The company also received Grand Awards for medium-sized organizations, women, employees aged 16-34, and overall employee well-being. It also received an Excellence Award for employees aged 55 and above and Merit Awards for LGBTQ+ employees and persons with disabilities.
“To be recognized by BusinessWorld as one of the best places to work in 2025, not just once, but across nine awards categories, is truly an honor that reflects the commitment, spirit, and heart of every individual in our organization. At every turn, we strive to build a workplace where collaboration, pride, and every voice matters,” said Walid Wafik, senior vice-president for operations of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp., upon accepting the top honor on behalf of SMX Convention Center.
Meanwhile, Ayala Land Hospitality received the top recognition for large organizations, while Filinvest Alabang, Inc. claimed the top recognition for employees aged 55 and above.
Filipino Homes received Grand Awards for small organizations and employees aged 16 to 34, alongside Excellence Awards covering overall performance, women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ representation, employees aged 55 and above, and employee well-being.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. was named the top recognition for very large organizations and Merit Awards across several demographic and workplace categories.
SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. won the Grand Award for support for ethnic minorities and employees with disabilities, while SLI Consulting, Inc. received Grand Awards for LGBTQ+ representation, employees with disabilities, and youth engagement.
WeFund Lending Corp., operator of JuanHand, earned the top recognition for employees aged 55 and above.
The awards also recognized organizations through Excellence and Merit categories.
Entering the next cycle
Following the inaugural 2025 awards and the subsequent 2026 search, BusinessWorld and WorkL have opened the next chapter of the program.
The entries for the present year closed last Aug. 1, following the assessment process that invited organizations to submit their entries and gather employee feedback through WorkL.
The latest search has now moved into the 2027 cycle, with the search now open to entries from organizations seeking this distinct recognition. The program retains the data-based framework that shaped its inaugural search.
The first cycle established the awards as a way to examine workplace experience through measurable employee sentiment. Likewise, the succeeding searches provide organizations with another opportunity to participate, assess their employee engagement data, and seek recognition across company-size and employee-focused categories.